Cup made from stone

Kiddush (Hebrew for ‘sanctification’) is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Many families have a special goblet or glass for the blessing - this vessel is called the Kiddush cup. Traditionally, a Kiddush cup will be crafted out of silver, but also pewter and other metals. Often, they are ornately decorated with grapes to symbolise the wine. A Kiddush cup can come in a variety of forms and sizes. It is just as common to have a stem on a Kiddush cup as it is to have a stem-less cup. The crucial aspect, however, is its size; it must hold a revi’it of liquid. A revi’it is approximately between 90.7 millilitres and 161.5 millilitres.

This item is carved from Dead Sea stone and has Hebrew inscriptions: 'Jerusalem'; 'May it be rebuilt speedily in our days'; (from Psalms 122) 'Our legs will be pillars at the gates of Jerusalem' and 'From this time and forever'. The cup arrived in Australia with either Samuel or David Cohen in the 1830s, Londoners who came to Australia as free settlers.